Live updates: Follow the latest news on Cop28
One of the biggest reported achievements of Cop27 in Egypt last year was the establishment of a fund to compensate poorer nations for the loss and damage they suffer as a result of climate change.
A point of contention for decades, loss and damage will also be high up on the agenda when Cop28 starts in Dubai on Thursday.
But what is loss and damage – and why has it long proved difficult for nations to come to an agreement on?
What is loss and damage?
Loss and damage refers to the harms that climate change causes, particularly those that cannot be prevented by mitigation (efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions) or alleviated by adaptation strategies (approaches that adjust to the effects of climate change).
Myriad climate change effects can result in loss and damage, the UN Environment Programme says, including wildfires, extreme weather such as drought or floods, rises in sea levels, desertification and sea acidification.
The harm these cause can be economic – such as damage to crops or to infrastructure as a result of extreme weather events that have been sparked or made more severe by climate change.
They also include non-economic forms of harm, including the loss of cultural heritage – such as if a group of people are forced to leave their homeland and move to a new area because of climate change.
Loss of biodiversity is another example.
The concept of loss and damage was introduced into climate change negotiations by the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu more than three decades ago. At Cop19 in Warsaw in 2013, a mechanism for loss and damage was established.
How much is needed and who should pay?
A widely quoted number for the funds needed for loss and damage is $400 billion a year by 2030, but the amounts are only going to increase as the effects of climate change intensify.
By 2050 they could be as high as $1 trillion or $1.8 trillion year, according to estimates.
Developed countries are regarded as largely being responsible for covering the costs of loss and damage, because they have emitted the lion’s share of greenhouse gases over time.
Analysis by Carbon Brief website, indicates that the US, for example, has produced one-fifth of the carbon dioxide emitted since pre-industrial times.
The concept of loss and damage has proved difficult to forge agreement on in part because developed nations are concerned that it could open them up to almost limitless demands for funds.
There has also been much debate as to the responsibilities of developing nations that have in recent times become major emitters, such as China, or that have become wealthy by extracting and selling hydrocarbons.
Several developed nations have allocated funds for loss and damage, including Scotland, Denmark and Belgium.
Separate to the loss-and-damage fund established at Cop27 is the Global Shield against Climate Risks, which has received funding from, for example, Germany. This initiative aims to strengthen the resilience of nations that are vulnerable to climate change.
What can we expect at Cop28?
This loss-and-damage fund took a step closer to becoming reality when an agreement on it was reached in Abu Dhabi in early November.
A UN committee agreed on a series of recommendations for the fund, to be considered by nations at Cop28.
Among the key recommendations were that the fund would be administered for an initial period by the World Bank.
The World Bank’s involvement is seen as popular among developed nations but less welcome among developing countries, amid concern from some that the institution safeguards the interests of western nations.
The UN committee that recently came to an agreement urged wealthy nations to put money into the fund, although the extent to which they may be legally obliged to do so is likely to be discussed at Cop28
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
Iraq negotiating over Iran sanctions impact
- US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
- Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
- Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
- Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
- Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
- The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
- Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
- Benchmark Brent crude fell 47 cents to $72.70 a barrel in London trading at 7:26 a.m. local time. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 25 cents lower at $62.85 a barrel in New York. WTI held near the lowest level in seven months as concerns of a tightening market eased after the U.S. granted its waivers to buyers of Iranian crude.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
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About Housecall
Date started: July 2020
Founders: Omar and Humaid Alzaabi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech
# of staff: 10
Funding to date: Self-funded
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Naga
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